Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, with me today I have the deputy minister of Transportation, Mr. Russell Neudorf, and also the assistant deputy minister, Mr. Daniel Auger.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We left off, last time we were on page 11-17, activity summary, airports. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would just like an update from the Minister. What is the status of the airport in Fort McPherson and also the airport for Tsiigehtchic?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Neudorf.

Thank you, Mr. Neudorf. Mr. Krutko.

The reason I asked the question is that’s been a request from the community for some time. I know they’ve got the helicopter pad that they were eventually looking at an airport of some sort. So I know there has been work done in that area, so I would just like to know is that something that’s still considered for future planning for the community of Tsiigehtchic.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister McLeod.

Mr. Chairman, we do not have that project in this year’s capital plans.

Are there any plans to do any possible extension on the airport in Aklavik?

Mr. Chairman, the deputy informs me there was a recent assessment of the Aklavik Airport on the runway and the indicators are that it’s sufficient to meet the needs. Thank you.

Yeah, just with regard to the federal legislation, because of the change in the legislation where it requires a certain length of

airport, I am wondering if that airport falls within that required length or does it have to be extended under the new federal regulations where you operate certain types of aircraft on these airports in the communities. They have to be a certain length for certain types of aircraft. I would just like to know does that meet that specific federal standard. That’s why I asked the question if it has to be extended, because I believe it’s only 2,500 feet.

Mr. Chair, the new regulations that will come into force in 2010 require that the different aircraft, different sizes, be able to demonstrate that they are able to land and take off in certain runway lengths. That does not require us to extend our airports. We did a runway assessment and the Aklavik runway is at 3,000 feet and we continue to feel this is sufficient.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. The next on my list is Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a quick question on airports as well. I was wondering if the department have any plans for an extension and chipsealing of the airstrip in Lutselk’e.

Mr. Chairman, the answer to that is no, we don’t have any plans at this point to chipseal the airport.

I guess I think that‘s the only communications or transportation link into Lutselk’e. They don’t get a winter road or all-season road. They get in materials and other things by barge once a year or twice a year, depending on what they’re bringing into Lutselk’e. Airports are very important. They get two or three flights a day into Lutselk’e. I think if we’re going to try to get communities to be on their own as much as possible in the future where we’re trying to increase the market viability of communities, I think it’s essential that the department look at the only real transportation link into Lutselk’e and somewhere in the future plan to chipseal and extend the length of that airstrip.

Mr. Chairman, we undertook an assessment study approximately a year and a half ago on all the airports to determine if the links were appropriate and the conditions. In the case of Lutselk’e, the runway is in good condition and it’s adequate to meet the needs of that community.

Thank you. I believe that is correct at this time. I’m thinking of the future. At some point I have a plan which includes dust suppression for the entire community, so maybe this department along with the municipality or the

band, First Nations, when they become the municipal body they would look at chipsealing the entire community. I think there’s approximately four kilometres of road that covers all of Lutselk’e, possibly less than four kilometres. If they’re going to somehow increase the market viability of their community as far as market housing and other benefits to having good infrastructure goes, then while they’re in the community it would be an opportunity to gain some synergies and have that airport chipsealed in the future. I guess just to let the Minister know that that is one of the projects I will be looking at before this term is over.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. I didn’t hear a question. I have nobody else on my list. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the Minister just explain the very complicated issue here of a point that he brought up in his discussions with Mr. Krutko regarding Transport Canada’s 2010 ruling on certain airports in the Northwest Territories? We have an issue in the Sahtu with this ruling, especially from an airline in our community that has partnerships with the two communities in my region. Can the Minister give an explanation on this very important rule and what this will mean in terms of the impacts on aircraft carriers’ business points of view?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The 2010 new guidelines that are coming into effect fairly quick in the next couple of years require all aircrafts of certain categories to be able to demonstrate that they can take off and land within certain distances on certain length runways. In this part of the country, in the Northwest Territories, we have two planes that are being challenged that the years that they were built and tested make it difficult for these companies to be able to provide that information because it’s been such a long time. The Beech aircraft and the Twin Otter are both planes that are used in the Territories and they are having difficulty proving they can land on certain length runways. The companies that have these planes in their fleets are requesting we extend the runways. We feel they need to do their due diligence to find the information and provide it to the federal government, which would allow them to land on the shorter runways. We’ve also embarked to try to help them by contacting the manufacturers or companies that are working with these aircrafts to do some of the actual testing or provide some of the information that they may have at their disposal to qualify that the planes can land on the shorter runways.